John Leach

John Leach (1 September 1894-10 December 1941) was a British Royal Navy captain during World War II. Leach commanded HMS Prince of Wales during the war, and he went down with his ship when it was sunk by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in 1941.

Biography
John Leach joined the Royal Navy in 1907, and he served in World War I before rising through the ranks during the Interwar period. By 1941, he was the captain of the new battleship HMS Prince of Wales, and he commanded her at the Battle of the Denmark Strait in 1941. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Orrder for his role in the battle, although some called for him to be court-martialled for having his ships break off from the battle after the Bismarck sunk HMS Hood. In December 1941, Leach was still in command of the Prince of Wales when she was attacked by Japanese bombers off Malaya, and he chose to go down with his ship alongside Admiral Tom Phillips.